Darren Criss will be out on tour in 2013 much to the delight of his legions of fans.

Although One Direction is still the #1 most searched for ticket in the land that is Tickifieds.com, it was still and interesting week as a performer I never even heard of popped up at #2 on this weeks’ top 10. That performer is none other than Darren Criss. While I like to think I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes popular musical acts, this one caught me completely off guard. I had to actually ‘google’ Mr. Criss to figure out who the heck he is.

It turns out, Darren Criss is a very talented fellow as he is an actor, singer, song writer and composer. He is mostly know for his role as Blaine on the hit TV Series Glee but he also has had successful stints on How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and the movie Girl Most Likely.

Criss’s first solo music tour, which is scheduled to visit 16 cities in the U.S. and Canada from May 29 – June 30, 2013, is set to include songs from Glee, StarKid, his Human EP, and new material from his upcoming solo album.

Top Events Week 15 (4/23/2013 to 5/1/2013)

1. One Direction

I think we’ve all had enough of 1D….we get it, they are insanely popular. If you don’t believe us just check out: http://www.tickifieds.com/customlist/4

2. Darren Criss

Darren Criss will be out on tour this summer playing songs for Glee, StarKid, his Human EP, and new material from his upcoming solo album. Popular shows include Cleveland, Chicago, Boston and Toronto.

The Heat made easy work of the Milwaukee Bucks and are anxiously awaiting the winner of the Chicago Bulls / Brooklyn Nets series. The Bulls would be an interesting matchup as they seem to have the Heat’s number (at least in the regular season).

5. New York Rangers

The NY Rangers will open up the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals on Thursday (5/2/2013). Despite the fact that the Rangers are only a #6 seed, fans still have high expectations following the acquisition of Rick Nash.

6. Blake Shelton

Country music star Blake Shelton will be hitting the road this summer and fall as part of the “Ten Times Crazier Tour”. Joining Blake on tour will be Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer. Popular concerts include Bristow (Jiffy Lube Live), Noblesville (Klipsch Music Center) and Wantagh (Jones Beach).

7. New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony and the NY Knicks are awaiting their shot at the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat. However, the pesky Boston Celtics are not going to go down without a fight. The Knicks were once up 3-0 but will now have to travel to Boston for Game 6.

8. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks earned the top overall seed and nothing less than the Stanley Cup will do for hockey fans in Chi-town. The Blackhawks are already up 1-0 on the Minnesota Wild in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

NBA fans across the nation are happy as the 2011-2012 season has begun. Following the labor dispute, the NBA season has been shortened to just 66 games. That means that teams have to squeeze in a lot of games in a short period of time. As such the season is filled with back-to-back and back-to-back-to-back games. While the work load is likely difficult on the NBA players, fans get to enjoy some great basketball on each and every night.

In the event ticketing world, NBA tickets are a bit of an untapped market. While most ticket brokers turn their attention to events that yield higher profit margins such as concerts and football (both NFL and College), the market is also strong for many NBA teams. So if you are looking to sell tickets to NBA games we’ve put together a list of the top 10 teams to market for the 2011-2012 NBA Season.

NY Knicks fans have been waiting for a decent team to root for since the Patrick Ewing era. With Carmelo Anthony back and the addition of Tyson Chandler this team is one of the top contenders in the NBA East.

The Miami Heat would be much higher on the list if it weren’t for the fact they play in Miami. Even with the 3-headed beast of James, Wade, and Bosh Miami fans just don’t seem to care much until playoff time. Miami has to be one of the worst cities for professional sports fans!

Los Angeles Lakers tickets are always in demand and this season will be no exception even though they are expected to be on the decline following the retirement of Phil Jackson. However, any team with Kobe Bryant will draw in the fans.

Tickets to Nets games are on the rise with continued rumors of a Dwight Howard trade. Throw in a move next year to the Bronx and the acquisition of Deron Williams and things are looking up for the Nets franchise.

This post probably isn’t as timely as it should be, but it’s mid-way through the Round 1 games and this should be a nice little recap and forecast:

NBA Playoff Schedule:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

So far in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls have taken home the W in 3 of the 4 games. These games, for the most part have been very close in scoring. The Pacers finally won the 4th game. As always, Derrick Rose, point guard for the Bulls, has been the glue that holds the team together. Hopefully his ankle sprain from last night doesn’t completely derail him and his team.

The same holds true for the Heat over the 76ers. The second game had a 20 point lead over the Sixers. The Sixers just don’t have the skill and experience of Wade, Bosch and James.

The Celtics crushed the Knicks in four games; therefore they have won the series and are moving on in the tournament. Boston is gunning for the championships that they feel they were robbed of last year.

The Hawks and the Magic are very evenly matched. Atlanta narrowly beat out Orlando in 3 of the four games. The Magic just put too much stock in Dwight Howard, while the Hawks seem to be a more rounded team.

In the Western Conference, the Spurs have lost one of three games about the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph and Mike Conley of the Grizzlies drove to the basket and kept Memphis ahead, and suddenly the Grizzlies are looking quite good to take the series. They are forcing the Spurs to look inexperienced and sloppy. Their next appearance is tonight.

The Lakers and Hornets are neck and neck. The games have averaged about 10 points between the winners and losers. Chris Paul of the Hornets is most definitely the best all-around point guard in the NBA; he has the skill to change games on his own. This is an interesting series!

The Trailblazers finally decided to show up to the game for the last two games. They’re willing to give the Mavericks a run for their money. Tonight’s game should be excellent.

The OKC Thunder is the little team that could. They might not have the history to back up their team like the Bulls, Lakers or Celtics, but they’re not messing around either.

So, what’s going on in the ticketing world now that the 2011 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament is over? If you’re living under a rock, UConn swept the Bulldogs in a rather upsetting fashion.

But, the end of NCAA basketball means the start of baseball, the end of NBA basketball and the spring/summer concert season. Friday seems to be particularly popular this weekend for events.

Of course opening days for baseball are hot commodities. The first day of baseball to many people is like New Year’s Day. Anything is possible. A totally fresh start. The White Sox are starting off with a slightly rocky start designated hitter Adam Dunn being taken to the hospital on Tuesday night. He underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday night and will miss at least five games. Apparently Dunn felt discomfort during Kansas City’s 7-6, 12-inning victory Tuesday.

Neighborly rivals, the Knicks vs. Nets face off on Friday night in New Jersey. Honestly, this shouldn’t be too much of a game, but the two teams are close in distance.

As for your concert seen, notice the heavy guitar, jam-bandy type sound that is prevalent in the list below. Kenny Chesney, Rush, Widespread Panic and Stevie Nicks all invoke feelings of summer and carefreeness. Keep an eye open for festivals and tours such as Coachella and Bonnaroo.

Also, while tickets are usually fairly cheap for AMA Supercross events, do discount them as being unwanted tickets. Motor bike racing has a surprisingly big following.

And your Wednesday Weekend Top Events post is back! After the Blizzard of 2011 knocked out internet and being in New York for the Ticket Summit, we will continue with your regularly scheduled program!

This upcoming weekend features of a number of exciting events! One of the more exciting events in the Daytona 500 happening at the Daytona Speedway in, can you guess, Daytona, Florida. They Daytona 500 is one of four restrictor plate races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Jamie McMurray is the current defending champion of the race. The Daytona 500 is thought of as the most significant and important race on the NASCAR schedule, carrying the largest purse by a landslide. Those in attendance are only superseded by those watching the races on TV. The temperatures in Daytona should be around the mid 60’s, a huge welcome for most of the people traveling to this event.

The Boston Celtics are sweeping up the ratings for this weekend as well while they host both the LA Lakers and Miami Heat, 2 teams that also definitely draw crowds. The Heat obviously features the phenoms of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh. James and Wade were selected to be starters for the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game, becoming the second pair of teammates to be selected as All-Star starters in franchise history. According to Forbes Magazine, the Lakers are the second most valuable NBA Franchise with an estimated value of $643 in 2011. That’s not too shabby, eh? The Celtics hold their own with their “Boston Three Party” of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce made famous by a series of strategic moves in 2007 by GM Danny Ainge.

Other events of note are County superstar, Brad Paisley, on his H2O Frozen Over Tour featuring Darius Rucker and Jerrod Niemann. Nickelodeon’s pop princess, Miranda Cosgrove also displays her talents in New York City. Sure to be included in her concert is her hit song “Dancing Crazy” which within three weeks of airplay, debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard Adult Pop Songs. Comedian Kevin Hart is also always another great event with his quirky and hilarious styling. He’s done several stand-up tv specials for Comedy Central already.